Robodance 5 - Features List

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WowWee Rovio specific

NOTE: To use your Rovio over Skype, you need to have a Windows PC connected to your home network running Robodance 5. Since most broadband users have leave their PC on this is not a problem for most people.

Rovio over Skype!

Rovio can work over Skype using Skype's video call service. The benefits of using Skype are huge and include:

Much easier hassle free setup for your Rovio

Eliminates the need to learn how to expose Rovio's ports to the Internet, a task known as port forwarding . Also eliminates the need for a Dynamic domain name service account and the accompanying Rovio setup required to use one. (The port forwarding operation and Dynamic domain name service account are necessary so you can access your Rovio from outside your home. With Robodance 5 and Skype, they are not required.)

Instead, all you need are two free Skype accounts and installing Skype is a very easy one click process. In some cases you may need to tell your Firewall to give Skype access to the Internet but that usually takes only a few seconds. In fact, most Firewall's will ask you if you want to give Skype access the first time you run it.

IMPORTANT!: If you want to find out if Rovio + Skype will work for you, run this simple test. Install Skype on a Windows PC at home, Windows 2000 or newer. Then, install Skype again on the remote device or find a device that can run Skype and use it for the test. Note the two Skype accounts will have to have different Skype names, one for the PC at home and one for the remote device. From a remote location, call in to your PC at home. If you can connect, you can use Robodance + Skype.

High quality audio in both directions regardless of what browser you use

If your laptop or other web enabled device can run Skype's video call service, you can have audio in both directions. (Without Robodance, you need IE 6 or better to have audio support. Note, Rovio's audio sounds noticeably better over the Skype link than it does with IE's ActiveX control).

Secure audio, video, and login

This makes using a public access WiFi point much safer since your login user name and password are not being transmitted in plain text to the WiFi access point, like it is without Robodance. Also, your video and audio are encrypted by Skype, along with your Skype login, so WiFi hackers that use "sniffers" can't eavesdrop on your connection or steal your login details. (Note, if you are using a Rovio account with administrative rights, which is a bad idea, the hacker/sniffer can log in to your Rovio, change your password, and lock you out of your own Rovio until you get home. You don't need to worry about that with Robodance since it uses Skype to provide the external connection and hides your Rovio connection behind it).

Video brightening

The software can brighten the video feed from Rovio for those of you having problems in low-light environments. It is adjustable in real time using a handy slider and there is an option to increase the video contrast too.

Auto-Mute

Rovio has two significant problems when it comes to using it as a mobile webcam. First, the microphone is literally right on top of the speaker. Because of this, whenever you talk, your voice goes right back into Rovio’s microphone, resulting in you hearing the sound of your own voice at an uncomfortably loud volume. Second, whenever Rovio moves the sound of its motors create a loud whine that is not pleasant to listen to.

Robodance solves this problem with an intelligent Auto-Mute feature. Whenever you talk or move the robot, Robodance quickly cranks down the volume of Rovio’s microphone to a fraction of normal. As soon as you stop talking or stop moving the robot, the volume is returned to the level you set it to. This saves you from having to continuously adjust the microphone volume in order to have a pleasant remote session. Both the Auto-Mute volume and the volume threshold at which speech triggers the Auto-Mute features can be set to your preference using the Audio Settings tab.

Fresh New Interface

Robodance's user interface has been redesigned. The individual overlapping module screens are gone and have been replaced with a convenient new Tabbed design, just like your web browser.